Local radio stations see changes

Broadcast Company of the Americas is giving up control of three of the six San Diego radio stations that it operated, continuing a shake-up that began last month with the ouster of longtime Chief Executive John Lynch.

BCA and private equity firm Thoma Bravo announced Tuesday that they were ending their management agreement. That means Thoma Bravo will take over management of three San Diego Radio stations that it owns — modern rock 91X-FM, rhythmic Z90-FM and oldies Magic 92.5-FM.

The decision to split was not contentious, said Larry Patrick, who was brought in to run BCA after Lynch was forced out. The stations will probably continue to operate out of the same building, he said.

BCA is majority owned by the Viejas tribe and JMI, the investment arm of former Padres owner John Moores.

Listeners shouldn’t notice any changes. But advertisers might. Patrick said that BCA has entered into a sales management agreement with Compass Radio Group, which owns KPRI 102.1 FM. That means KPRI sales staff can sell ads on BCA’s stations and vice versa, Patrick said. KPRI’s owners will lead the sales efforts.

“Generally in radio it’s better to have more stations than fewer, and I’ve known the KPRI people for 30 years,” Patrick said.

Thoma Bravo said former BCA vice president of sales Gregg Wolfson has been appointed general manager of its stations. Former BCA executive Norm McKee will continue as chief financial officer and take on additional duties as chief operating officer. Other former BCA staff members will become employees of Thoma Bravo’s radio group, called Local Media of America.

Lynch, a San Diego radio entrepreneur who founded BCA in 2003, has sued his former company. His lawsuit claims he lost his percentage ownership in the company, which had an estimated value of $9 million.